


Fabricate

by birbteef



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Cunnilingus, Drowning, Face-Sitting, Humans, Hurt/Comfort, Likely OOC, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Mild Gore, Misgendering, Oral Sex, Panic Attacks, Public Sex, Science Experiments, Street Racing, Xenophilia, las vegas being written by someone whos clearly never been to vegas, ocs necessary for plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2018-07-18 02:36:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7296121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birbteef/pseuds/birbteef
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shockwave is displeased with Knock Out's recent behavior due to Breakdown's death. He attempts to rectify the situation so things will get back on track. A KOBD xeno fic.<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Wires

**Author's Note:**

> I was talking to a friend on tumblr about xeno stuff and we were lamenting the fact there's not a lot that just explores all the weird shit that can happen so I was like "well shoot I'll just write it myself."  
> \--  
> I do not claim to be a good writer and this fic is unbeta'd. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Knock Out didn’t know if this was Shockwave’s idea of a sick joke or what. The words Shockwave had said, so passively “It is much simpler to create organics than our own species” Still rang in Knock Out’s head. He repeated it on playback, as if trying to find out why the monster had done this to him.

The little body hung suspended from wires in the sickly yellow solution. Not awake or aware, still unconscious. 

Knock Out had been quiet with his grief. He had kept it private, as one is supposed to do when surrounded by others who would take any opportunity to get a leg up. Sure, they had known, It was impossible for them not to have known. But the grief, the nights of drinking, the hollow feelings of finally realizing he was alone, those were all kept behind closed doors. For all they knew he was just a little glum.

But now, with this abomination Shockwave had presented to him, now he was trying as hard as he could to keep himself in check. His claws dug into the heels of his palms and his plating shook. He knew Shockwave would notice but he just couldn’t keep himself in line. 

“Why?”

Shockwave turned to his new assistant “Explain your query.”

“Why did you do this.” The medic’s voice was shallow, barely held together.

“Your productivity is lacking. You are preoccupied with your grief. This should alleviate your distress, and then you will go back work correctly.”

Of course. Knock Out thought he was doing fine. Slow, sad, but fine. Apparently not fine enough. This was cruel in every sense that Knock Out could think of. He knelt down to the little tube, gently running his servos along the outside and tracing small contours he could not touch. 

He had been strung along so much. No one even told him Breakdown had died, having to find out the hard way by comming him so many times with no response then just finding dreadwing in his medbay. Then...Silas...That horrific disrespect that everyone else just seemed to put up with. Maybe that was his problem. He just wasn’t allowed time to actually grieve. Things just kept coming up.

But now this? Knock Out couldn’t stand organics, and now he found himself drawn, captivated, by this little human body in a test tube. Breakdown. It was horrible, the immediate relief that he felt in his system just knowing there was another chance. He was doing exactly what Shockwave wanted. Knock Out could never forgive Shockwave for this. How could he thank him? How could he hate him? This is exactly what Knock Out wanted and also possibly one of the worst things that could have ever happened to him.

There were too many emotions, unclear anger and relief and gratitude and disgust. Knock Out said nothing, just stayed squatted next to the tube. After a few moments he heard Shockwave leave him be.

\--

It would be a while before the body was finished cooking. Shockwave wasn’t able to give him an exact date because it all revolved around the fleshy body developing chemicals and doing bodily functions Knock Out really had no context for to understand. He stopped listening around the time Shockwave was saying something about downloading memories from the leftovers of the Silas incident. By the end of the explanation Knock Out surmised it would be about two earth weeks. 

Two weeks. He’d have to learn everything he could in two weeks. Breakdown had even less knowledge of humans, and organic bodies in general just required so much work. It wasn’t like you could just buff them and give a little fuel and they’d be ok. Organics were complicated and abstract and Knock Out knew so little about them except what he watched at the movies. He could learn. He was a doctor, and in those few times he needed to buckle down and get serious he was dangerously proficient. He could learn this. 

Shockwave told him it would take a while for Breakdown to get used to things. Apparently it took natural humans years to be able to function correctly. Knock Out severely hoped it wouldn’t take that long, he wanted his conjunx, not a pet. But there would be an adjustment period, humans don’t just ‘turn on’. Organics were nasty little things, they went through phases and had chemical issues. Knock Out wanted nothing to do with that side of it.

Knock Out knew things wouldn’t be the same, how could they? But if some semblance of what they had could be worked out then...that was worth it, wasn’t it? Maybe it wasn’t, how could he even begin to handle having a human for a conjunx? It was completely unheard of, but then so was bringing back the dead from stored data banks. 

He didn’t know, nor did he want to think about how the other ‘cons would react. Shockwave hadn’t appeared to have told anyone, and it wasn’t as if they made regular field trips down to his many many labs. No, this was something Shockwave was doing to make Knock Out stop being as much of a nuisance to him. Knock Out knew he may very well actually have to hide Breakdown, given the general dislike of organics aboard the Nemesis. 

Then again he might be able to get Shockwave to vie for him. He was under Shockwave’s jurisdiction, and Shockwave had done this experiment especially for him. Possibly if he chose his words right, nothing bad would happen at all. 

The thought of Someone like Starscream intentionally stepping on the organic body, or worse...It made Knock Out feel cold and uneasy. He was used to being the one protected, not the protector, he didn’t feel ready at all.

\--

Knock Out went back down to the lab to look at him every day for those two weeks. The human body was strangely accurate to what Knock Out would have picked for Breakdown. He didn’t know if Shockwave had designed it himself or if this was just some example of genetic coding doing a good job. Breakdown was naked of course, suspended by wires and tubes poked into his flesh and down his throat, but the suspension offered Knock Out a good look at what he was dealing with. 

He was small in comparison, sure, but likely on the larger end of the size spectrum for a human. The body had dark skin and light hair that Knock Out couldn’t tell the true colors of through the dim lighting and yellow liquid. He was...Knock Out wasn’t sure about the human word for it, muscular? There was more in the arms and chest but overall he was fairly well toned like those in the media. Knock Out thought for a brief moment that he almost looked like a very ugly kibble-less protoform. 

Which was an interesting thought. Knock Out slipped back from the tube and sat on the floor, thinking about it for a moment. Humans did wear a coating didn’t they? Knock Out knew from the drive-ins and the humans the Autobots carted around that they could take them off. Their society didn’t have nearly as much of an issue about removing outer coatings as cybertronians did, in fact from what Knock Out could tell it was encouraged. His eyes flicked back to the tube, he’d have to get something for whenever Breakdown came out of this thing.

But humans are...soft. Knock Out huffed in thought, humans probably can’t wear metal, even if that’s the material Knock Out’s best at working with. What do humans wear? He remembered something about making cloth out of plant fibers. Plants and plastic. Knock Out could work with plastic, some Cybertronians had plastic components. 

He grumbled, this would be easier if he had local credits and could just get the things where the humans get them. Surely not every human made their own covers. He couldn’t believe he actually wished he had a local to ask about it. Regardless, Breakdown would need armor, not just a covering. Knock Out didn’t know where humans would get armor, if they even wore it. 

He stood, looking at the tube one more time before turning his back and heading to their quarters. He had some fabrication to do.


	2. Re:Birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> contains medical stuff, throat tubes, drowning, retching/emetophobia warning  
> Again, this is unbeta'd all mistakes are mine. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Breakdown slowly broke consciousness, slipping up from sleep to that near horizon of waking. Gentle yellow light filtered in and he stirred, feeling groggy and slow. Recharge didn’t feel like this, was it medically induced? He could tell he was suspended in liquid and he grimaced at the thought, opening his optics took longer than normal and he stared out through a thick blurry yellow haze. Nothing was visible beyond some tubes directly in front of him, everything behind a thick shield of glass was blurry and out of focus. 

He tried to bring up his HUD without success, finding his thoughts difficult to parse though. They wouldn’t streamline, and he couldn’t control their destinations. Little packets of wayward thought started to bubble up and he couldn’t turn them off, whatever new operating system he had rebooted to wasn’t working. There was no control in his thinking, it bounced rapidly from process to process, unhindered and determined to keep progressing into different trees that kept him from focussing. 

He shut his optics and curled in on himself, pain rippling around his throat and limbs. That wasn’t right. It didn’t feel normal nothing about this felt okay. It was as if he was tugging at himself, the movement didn’t seem natural in the slightest. He clenched his fits, focusing on the sensation. It felt like his joints were pulling from inside rather than pushing along the top, like they had given him pistons for every single joint. 

The panic started to build as he got curious about what kind of new frame he had been given. He still couldn’t see it, anything beyond the tubes at his front was blurry, and because of the suspension he couldn’t raise his arms up to get a closer look. He pulled and pushed his joints from top to bottom, making sure everything worked with what limited mobility he had. Everything felt much looser than normal, but also strangely limited. The weird piston feeling was prevalent in every movement...had he been given a different frame?

Instead instead of dwelling on what he couldn’t control he decided to take stock of what he was doing here. Where, What, When, Why, How.

To figure out what’s going on, he should figure out the last thing he remembered. The where...he tried to think but it was so hard. He tried to go back in his memories but he kept thinking about his hands, he couldn’t turn the process tree off and it was getting frustrating. Where. Where had he been. He had been with Dreadwing doing...something...tracking? Had they been tracking? 

Tracking the What. What. The What is Arachnid. 

When? He couldn’t bring up his chronometer or his HUD, the When would have to wait. 

Why? He wasn’t sure why, an order? Tracking Arachnid with Dreadwing was an order. 

The How?

He remembered running after her, Dreadwing was there. Dreadwing was not following. Then...then...Arachnid was there. He had found her, he had been successful. So why was he in this situation? He couldn’t remember what happened next, did she capture him? Is he on display in her ship with the rest of her trophies? No, he wouldn’t have woken up if he were on her ship. 

He gave his bonds a tug, testing their strength. It felt strange, he couldn’t feel his plates shift or his engine rev. He felt so loose, why did he feel so loose? He clenched his denta and realized there was something in his intake, It wasn’t thick, just a tube, he opened his mouth around it and immediately regretted doing so as the yellow fluid poured in. He gagged violently, pain shooting through his throat in an instant. 

Fear, a primal, immediate, painful fear tugged at him and he bit down, severing the tube. His body lurched in uncontrollable spasms from his middle expelling out his intake. He didn’t understand what he was doing but he gasped in a fashion he had never done before, taking in more of the yellow liquid inside himself. He couldn’t help but to thrash, everything else forgotten except this immediate pain and a horrible instant NEED for SOMETHING through his intake. 

The thick walls of glass descended around him and the liquid gushed out across the floor. He was dropped unceremoniously onto the base, gagging and retching. He was free of his bonds and was scratching at his intake, trying to get ahold of the tube he had bitten off but he kept gagging and coughing up the yellow liquid, shaking and convulsing too much to grasp of it.

He got hold of the tube between two fingers and tugged it out, the whole ordeal taking more tugs and retching than he liked to admit. He didn’t even know he had receptors back there, let alone that it would hurt so much. But now he was free, in pain and terrified, but free. 

He looked at the tube in his hand, small, rubber, meant to cycle air. His eyes wandered down the tube to look at his hand. His hand that was not his hand. That was not his hand. He dropped the tube and moved his hand closer. (He had four fingers now, what a novelty.) Organic, whole and non-segmented. 

He screamed and thrashed again for a moment, feeling a deep throbbing pound in his chest. It hurt, his whole existence hurt, is this some punishment? He didn’t know how long he just stared at his hand, he had no chronometer any more. No em field, no HUD, he felt blind. 

When he finally peeled his eyes away from his hand and looked at the rest of his body he wasn’t entirely sure what species he had been dumped into. Given where he remembered being last, he would put his credits on human, but he was always bad about telling organics apart. He touched his chest, pulling out tubes embedded into his flesh and smoothing his hands over his new skin. It felt so much more sensitive than anything he was used to and he winced, not sure he’d get used to the feeling.

He took a few steady breaths, (breathing, also novel) and sat up. This was the absolute last thing he needed. He didn’t know how to be human. Their bodies and living requirements were completely different to his own. He had no idea how to take care of himself like this, and the realization of that thought made him shiver (that’s new!). Not even regarding the long term, he knew humans only survived a few cycles without ingestion of fuel. He’d have to find some. He didn’t even know what humans ingested but he’d have to find it.

Plus he was naked. He knew humans didn’t have as much of an issue about that as Cybertronians did, but Primus damn it he was a Cybertronian! This didn’t change anything. He looked around for something to cover himself with but found nothing other than the tubes that had been connected to him and the yellow liquid still spreading across the platform his gestation tube had been on. 

Breakdown took in his surroundings, he was clearly in a Cybertronian medical lab. The scale was different than what he was used to, but he recognized most of the equipment from the nursing job Knock Out had gotten him. So, he was in the “care” of some Cybertronians. He dared to hope that Knock Out would come find him. But Knock Out hated humans, hated almost all organics. Breakdown’s chest started to throb again, what if he was truly alone in this? He had no way to ping Knock Out, no comms to tell him where he was, to beg his conjunx to please come rescue him. 

That is, if Knock Out even knew he was missing in the first place. Breakdown recalled Knock Out saying he hadn’t even been alerted when Breakdown was captured and experimented on by MECH till he got a call to prepare the medbay for wounded. The Decepticons didn’t care then, why would they care now? This was bad. This was very bad. 

Breakdown crawled off the pedestal the tube had descended into. He couldn’t stand, his legs wobbly from never being used and his center of balance was different. He pulled himself over to the edge of whatever platform he was situated on and peered over. That distance wouldn’t have been a problem in his normal body, but in this soft one? He didn’t know how specifically resilient humans were, but organics in general were not known for being able to survive impacts. 

He pushed away from the ledge, not wanting to even be near it. So he was stuck here, stuck in this lab till whoever did this to him would come back.


	3. You're alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd as usual. All mistakes are my own. Edit: fixed a timeline thing whoops. Breakdown doesnt remember the events of his death correctly, and Knock out is vaguely uninformed on the matter. Neither knows what actually happened, only Dreadwing and Arachnid (who are dead and missing respectively) know.

Knock Out had prepared the best he could. He spent all of his free time during those two weeks researching humans and their habits for Breakdown. They didn’t require as much care as Knock Out initially suspected. Sure, they had a much more complicated dietary program, needed more recharge, and required constant protection from their own planet; but over all humans’ bodies actually took care of themselves for the most part. 

He had gone racing to try and get credits he would need for Breakdown, it was easy enough actually winning the races but accepting the money had been somewhat of an ordeal. Apparently Just pulling up and asking the host to put it in his trunk was considered rude among humans. He’d won enough recently that people were starting to talk about “the guy who never gets out of his car.” Really the last thing he needed right now was to come under scrutiny by his only source of human income.

He had, for some reason, thought that getting credits would be the hard part of gathering the resources he needed. Actually exchanging the credits for goods was another story. He wound up blowing his cover twice, trying to get some humans to go and just exchange them for goods. He would even have paid them! It wasn’t like he was trying to cheat them out of anything he just needed clothes and food. 

He was frustrated on that front, but he did have what few goods he was able to make. There was a small sleeping area he had set in his private quarters, based on a mix of what the humans slept in and his own experience with seeker nests. He had formulated a nutrition paste that he suspected wouldn’t taste good at all, but it could sustain Breakdown for long enough to get him to be able to go buy food for himself.

The main problem he had encountered were clothes. He had fabricated armor, it would be tough enough Breakdown could accidently get stepped on or dropped and not die, and it was flexible so he could move (fashionable as well, Knock Out liked to think). Based very roughly on the old chassis, it was blue and grey and would hug Breakdown’s human body nicely. Knock Out was very well aware Breakdown couldn’t wear it all the time though, and he doubted it would be all that comfortable in the first place.

Knock Out had tried to make what he interpreted as normal clothes but the scale was just too small to get anything that looked half decent. He eventually just went prowling at night and wound up stealing some off a clothesline in someone’s back yard. He doubted they would fit but, again, it would hold Breakdown over till he could go and get his own. 

\--

Breakdown’s second time waking was much more streamlined. His processor still didn’t work right, but at least he understood why. He was on the pedestal where the tube had descended, he remembered vaguely crawling back here and laying down after he checked the edge. He didn’t remember slipping into recharge but with how exhausted he felt, it didn’t surprise him.

“What is your status?” A loud voice behind him called.

He startled, jerking up and getting his legs tangled in the wires. He tried to push himself back but just wound up slipping in the yellow liquid and slamming his back into the floor.

“Do not be frightened, I mean you no harm. What is your status?” 

“Sh- sshhhhhuhh” Breakdown sputtered, staring up at the form. Is that how they looked to humans? He recognized shockwave from old propaganda discs, one of the decepticon empurata posterboys and head of the science division. Breakdown thought Shockwave was dead, but maybe that was someone else? He couldn’t call up specific memories anymore, they just flooded in with all the information he didn’t need and none of what he did.

“Your speech capabilities are limited. Interesting.” Shockwave stepped right up to the edge of the platform, looming over Breakdown’s little body. He picked up Breakdown roughly, gripping him tight in his servo as he walked away from the platform. Breakdown screamed, scrabbling to hold onto his hand and not get sick from the movement. “I will inform Knock Out of your consciousness, be quiet for now.”

Breakdown struggled in the vice-grip that Shockwave had him in. He could breathe, but it hurt and didn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. He barely even registered what Shockwave had said. Knock Out? Knock Out knows? He’s coming? “E- EY! Sss- sthh- sthock-wafe!” Primus it was hard to talk with all that liquid and the fat fleshy thing in his mouth.

Shockwave ignored him as he talked to someone through comm, probably Knock Out given the context. He ended his comm session and looked down at Breakdown “State your inquiry.”

Breakdown huffed, struggling in the grip “wuh-hhh” he hurked for a moment “what! Happen!?”

“What happened?” Shockwave repeated, making sure he had the correct question. Breakdown nodded, not wanting to talk more. “You died, a group of humans appropriated your body and saved your data files. I reinstated those files into a new working body to alleviate Knock Out’s distress.”

“Knockau?”

“His work ethic has been subpar since you died.”

“Died?” 

“Died, yes. I am currently unaware as to how this came to be, it’s not my business.”

If anything Breakdown was actually more confused now. Discussing his apparently recent passing with someone who has the emotional availability of a rock did not seem like a good idea if he wanted to know what actually happened. He stayed quiet, anxious and scared of what would happen next.

Knock Out was coming and Breakdown found himself growing more terrified as the minutes ticked by. Knock Out didn’t like organics, he and Breakdown had talked at length before about how little they meant and how gross they were. Knock Out liked human culture, their arts, but Breakdown knew he tried to hide it as much as possible from him.

A whole new wave of fear swept over him when he realized that just because he considered himself Cybertronian still doesn’t mean that Knock Out would. He looked up at Shockwave, the large bot was typing something with his free hand into the computer, Breakdown couldn’t tell what but it was likely about him. 

“He is here.”

A small shifting noise came from the far wall, the sound of hesitant footsteps followed and then stopped. Shockwave looked up from his typing and Breakdown held his breath, worried for what would come. For a short period nothing did. Then the doors slid open and Knock Out stepped through with usual gusto, strolling over unaware the others had heard him have to take a moment. 

\--

Breakdown spent the trip back clutched tightly to Knock Outs chest, the only words exchanged between them before Knock Out started hurrying back to his habsuite was Knock Out telling him “I have to hide you, please don’t talk” before setting off in a run. 

The trip made him sick, he felt awful and was crushed up against Knock Outs chest. He didn’t realize how much they jostled up and down when they ran but he sure was aware of it now. He wheezed through his panic, knowing the fact Knock Out was even touching him was enough that he wouldn’t kick him out simply because he was human now. A small comfort in this highly uncomfortable situation. 

Knock Out got to the habsuite quickly enough, punching in his access code and then closing the door quickly when he got inside. He looked around for a minute before setting Breakdown on the bed, staring at him wide-eyed. 

Breakdown furrowed his brow and looked up at Knock Out “What happened? Why’m I-” he gestured to himself “What the hell!?”

Knock Out knelt down slowly, not anticipating this reaction. He got eye level with Breakdown and paused for words “Did...Shockwave tell you anything? Do you...know?”

“Know I died?” he was getting the hang of the wetness now “He toed me...that I died! And then...took m’body” Knock Out chuckled for a minute and then sighed. Breakdown felt a lot of unexplained reserved emotion in that. “Knock Out. What happened?” He asked again, anger leaving him. He wasn’t angry, not really. Just frustrated and scared and confused more than anything.

“I don't even know where to start. I just-” he started to shake, imperceptible to anyone but himself. “What do you remember?”

“I...went off with Dreadwing to find Arachnid, I think? I thi-think we diiiiid find-her-but I don’ remember” he shook his head “I can’t remember.”

“She killed you. I don't think you were hunting her, you left with her and, Breakdown she tore you into pieces. I don't know what your mission was, or why you left with her and Dreadwing. I think you were supposed to offline her and of course you wound up dead instead. I didn’t even know. No one bothered to tell me you had even left until Dreadwing was in my medbay for secondary care. He was kind about it and all but...I don’t know...I figured I would at least get some kind of formal ‘hey that guy you hooked up with is dead’ announcement but apparently not. Apparently not.” Knock Out leaned onto the berth, folding his arms over and resting his head down on them.

“I’m- I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry! You’re the one who died! But anyway, so I thought, you know, OK im going to get your body soon, right? I thought I’d get your body and at least give you a funeral.”

“You were gonna give me a funeral?” He scooted closer to Knock Out.

“Of course I was! Do you think I’d just leave your body out there? No, I had it planned. Except then there was no body. This team of human scum, the ones that took your eye-”

“-Mech?”

“Yes them, they took your body and desecrated it. I won’t...I can’t tell you what they did. I think you’ve been through enough just trust me, they did awful things to you. I...dealt with it in maybe not the best way. But they backed up your files in a way that humans can process, which is what I'm guessing Shockwave used to do this.” he gently nudged Breakdown in the side.

Breakdown nodded “I- I guess so. I mean I just. I w-wwwww” he cleared his throat “I woke up like this.” He put a tentative hand on Knock Out’s finger. “Clearly it was...rough. Whatever happened was rough. I’m so sorry.”

Knock Out laughed again “stop apologizing, out of everyone I’m mad at you’re last on the list. You are on the list, running after her without backup, but...I can’t be mad any more than I already am. But now you’re back. I have every intent of keeping you that way.”

It was Breakdown’s turn to laugh this time “So no one else knows? That’s the impression I’m getting.” 

“No one but Shockwave and I. He...did this as some sort of bribe I think. It’ll work, Primus I’d do anything that creep wants. I don’t know what he has planned but...I’d do it.”

“You will be careful won’t you? Why would you even be working with him?” Breakdown moved closer to Knock Out’s palm, liking how warm the servo was on his bare skin. He hadn’t even realized he was cold till Knock Out touched him. 

Knock Out made a sour face, pressing his cheek into the berth “I’ve been demoted. Shockwave comes back from the dead and all of a sudden it doesn’t matter that im the only viable physician this ship has, I now get to be his lab boy. What an honor” Breakdown could hear the venom in his speech. “I guess it’s not the worst that could happen but- everything went wrong at once and I’ve not been handling it well.”

Breakdown nodded, not sure what he should do. He turned and pressed a small kiss on Knock Out’s palm, “you shouldn’t have had to do that.”

“Heh, at least someone agrees with me.”


	4. In the palm of my hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd as usual.
> 
> From here on out Knock Out's gonna start diverging from canon, so, there's that at least.

They talked for a while, mostly just Knock Out catching Breakdown up to speed on everything he missed. The talk was fine, though there was some tension between them due to the nature of it. Breakdown slowly huddled closer into himself as they went on. Knock Out’s palm was warm, but the cold chill of the Nemesis crept through regardless. Knock Out was explaining something about Starscream neither of them really understood when he paused, looking at Breakdown.

“What?” The human asked, unsure of the reason for the sudden scrutiny. 

“You’re shaking, are you alright?” Knock Out asked, sitting up from his place on the floor and pulling his arms back. 

“I think so! I don’t know why this body is shaking. I’m not doing it! It’s just happening.” He exhaled a stuttered breath and rubbed his arms. “It is cold though, I don’t think humans are supposed to be this exposed.”

“Oh!” Knock Out got up immediately “I actually have something for you.” 

“What?” Breakdown stood and slowly walked over to the edge of the berth, trying to see what Knock Out was messing with on his desk. “What is it?” His sense of balance was still off so he didn’t get too close to the edge to risk falling off of it. “Knock Out I’m just cold what is it?”

Knock Out didn’t answer but instead came back with his servo closed around something. He knelt back down on the floor and held out his palm, offering it to Breakdown. “I don’t know that it’ll fit, but at least it looks better than being...exposed as you are.”

Breakdown stared at the clothes. It looked like armor he saw in those movies Knock Out drug him to back on the surface. There was a sort of longer black cloth part he guessed went under everything, and then several blue and grey pieces that would strap over each other to sit on top of it. Clearly Knock Out had put a lot of time and effort into this, and Breakdown’s heart soared at the thought. 

Breakdown pulled the black part over his head, getting stuck for a moment before knock Outs large fingers tugged it down. He stood there with it around his neck for a brief moment before pulling at it and eventually getting one arm through a sleeve, then the other. “Humans do this every day?”

“I’m fairly certain they change these twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.”

“That sounds exhausting, honestly.” Breakdown looked at what was left aside from the armor, some thick black bottom parts, some tubes he figured went on his feet, and a soft little pair of shorts. He picked up the little things and eyed Knock Out inquisitively “What are these for.”

“All I know is that humans wear them underneath their other clothes. What their actual purpose is, I have no idea.” 

Breakdown snorted at that but tried to put them on anyway. He wobbled a little bit and knock Out pressed a gentle hand to his back, holding him upright while Breakdown stepped into the little things. He grunted a thanks and looked down at his legs. “They feel weird.”

“Are they on right?” Knock Out replied

“I- I mean I think so? How could I put them on wrong?”

Knock Out hummed “Maybe you’re just not used to it.”

Breakdown shrugged, Putting the two tubes on his feet. They were soft and made standing on the berth a much less cold experience. “Hey I like these.”

Knock Out laughed “the socks?”

“Are they called socks?”

“Pretty sure they’re socks.”

“Humans suck at naming.”

Knock Out laughed again, clearly amused by Breakdown’s assessment. “Just finish up already. I have plans.”

“Plans?” Breakdown leaned against the palm again, stepping into the pants carefully. He had to hop a few times but eventually got them on. 

“That’s the only set of clothes I have for you. I mean, I got more but they’re not...good. I won’t let you be seen in them. I finally have some control over how you’re going to appear to the world and I’ve decided you’re going to look amazing. Though, I know humans...secrete things from their skin.” he gestured to Breakdown “Those won’t last long.”

Breakdown decided to ignore the comment about tastes “Am...am I secreting things now? Oh Primus that’s disgusting.”

“Yeah! You’re gonna have all kinds of oils and this thing called sweat it’s awful.” Knock Out picked the boots out of the palm of his hand and set them next to Breakdown. “Put those on, I don’t think you’ll need the rest for a shopping trip. The goal is to blend in.”

The boots were a little big on him, Breakdown knew Knock Out had hand crafted them given the shape of the outside. They matched the armor plating, on top of a plain silver and black shoe were two pieces of blue metal that hooked around his calves. A slender silver spur weaved along through the arch of the foot and up the back. 

He could do some damage with these given a good kick, it was a nice feeling; finally having some sort of weapon or way to defend himself while in such a helpless body. He doubted he could even put a dent in a Cybertronian, but a human? He felt fairly confident he could take down a human if he needed to. 

Knock Out returned from putting the rest of the armor away, holding out his palm. Breakdown stared at it a moment before he realized it was an offer. He gently stepped into the open hand and found himself being lifted, carried over to the desk. Knock Out cleared his voice and set Breakdown down. “So there’s...a few things we need to go over.” Breakdown found himself standing on what he could only call a very tiny seeker nest. 

Knock Out continued to speak “You can’t really sleep in the berth with me any more, I’ll crush you. I think this will do though, won’t it?” 

Breakdown had limited knowledge of seeker culture, he knew Knock Out was one before he transitioned but never questioned him about it out of respect. He never really bothered to learn about their culture and what things mean, but it was fairly common knowledge that nests were like...a big deal. Maybe. He wasn’t actually super sure. He took a moment to respond “It’s lovely,” and It was, “thanks, Knock Out.”

Breakdown couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed like some kind of nervous tension left Knock Out. He wished desperately he had an EM field to wrap around him, tell him whatever was going on it would be ok. Of course, none of this was really ok, but the reassurance was always nice. 

“I’m glad you like it.” a pause “now there’s one last thing. I don’t think you’ll like it, but-” He pulled out a small tube with beige grit in it. “You need to eat. You’ve been in stasis for a while and you need energy before we get going.”

“Get going?” he took the tube with uncertainty “How late is it?”

“It’s unfortunately only noon, we still have the day ahead of us. Shockwave has...graciously...given me the day off, but I don't have tomorrow off. I need to get everything done to get you settled today, else it likely won't happen for a while. Eat”

Breakdown looked at the tube with dismay.

“If it’s really truly awful, you can forgo it. I will tell you though, humans have significantly more complicated nutrition and diet requirements than we do, that has everything you need in it. Everything.”

“Knock, every fiber of my being is telling me not to eat this. It looks like wet sand.” He grimaced but brought it to his mouth anyway. It tasted...not good. He was interested to know his sense of taste was much stronger now than it had been as a bot, but he decided immediately this was not the best way to go about finding out. It didn’t taste bad necessarily, but under no circumstances was it good. He shot Knock Out a glare but ate more anyway.

“How is it?”

“It’s pretty bad, man.” he ate some more “I understand why their mouths are wet though, they eat way better than we do.”

“Really?” Knock Out seemed genuinely interested in that revelation.

“Yeah it like lubes it up. It feels really gross but it’s pretty efficient.”

Knock Out laughed and held out his palm again, lifting breakdown from the nest. “I don’t want to hear you refer to anything your body produces as a lube at the moment.” 

Breakdown snorted, eating more of the gritty substance. “So, where are we going?” 

“Well, the tentative plan is just to get clothes then food. We have to get off the ship without being spotted though, which will be the first thing.”

“Do you have any way to like...get them? I mean I’m guessing you need a human to get human items, which is why you’ve waited till I’m actually awake. But like. humans have a credit system don’t they? I can’t just barter for stuff.” Breakdown finished the tube, not really sure what to do with it without a subspace. 

“I have a small amount of the local credits from racing, but I’ll be honest with you I don’t know how much it’s worth. Their goods and services are pretty different from what we’re used to so getting conversion rates was a waste of time.” Knock Out plucked the little tube from Breakdown and set it on the desk for later. “Are you ready? I’m going to put you into my subspace.”

“Woah what? No, no I’m not ready. Knock Out that’s super weird don’t do that.” 

“Too bad, this is all weird, and that’s the best way to keep you hidden while I leave” The top panel of Knock Out’s chest slid aside and he dropped Breakdown into it. 

Breakdown hollered for a moment but eventually quieted down. Like the rest of Knock Out, his subspace was neat and clean. Breakdown had been expecting the vaguely dirty oily subspace he had in his own chassis, but this made much more sense. 

Knock Out grimaced, he could feel Breakdown inside him. Normally that would have been a wonderful sentence, but at the moment it was disgusting and extremely uncomfortable. It took everything Knock Out had to not make some kind of whimper, he could feel the organic hands pawing at him from the inside out, feel Breakdown get up and move around in his chest. It was a limited space but Breakdown apparently seemed intent to explore all of it.

Knock Out felt like gagging, he thought he would be ok with this. He was surprisingly fine with picking up the human body in his hands. He had thought, foolishly, that since he was ok with touching the human in his overly sensitive medic hands, then there would be no issue. “Breakdown” he hummed lowly, trying to keep his cool. “Breakdown I need you to stop moving.”

The pawing stopped after a moment and Knock Out vented, turning his fans up to calm himself. He needed to act professional, and not look rattled in the slightest. Looking upset around a vehicon was no matter, but if he passed Starscream? Or worse Soundwave? He had to collect himself, pay no attention to Breakdown, and bridge off this ship as fast as possible.


	5. Strip mall involves no stripping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual this is unbeta'd. This chapter is a little longer than the others but I think that's alright. It was a bit more difficult than some of the others as well just because I wasn't sure what to keep in and what to take out. There's a lot of "small moments" that I'd like to show between them but at the same time I don't want to be writing a play by play of their day, you know?  
> Regardless; enjoy!

The trip through The Nemesis was nerve wracking for both of them. Knock Out was on high alert, trying to saunter through the halls with his normal relaxed grace while being careful to survey his surroundings. It was difficult, Breakdown kept moving as he walked, touching him with those small disgusting hands to rebalance every time Knock Out shifted his weight around. 

Knock Out made it to the transport room without passing anyone significant, a few vehicons, but no one who would have questioned him about where he was going. He snuck through enough times to get to the surface for racing that he knew the process fairly well.

Humans had credits that had to be spent at the same country they were issued from, not high advanced enough to already have a global trading unit. Knock Out considered this unfortunate, it limited the places he could go and actually use what he’d earned. He guessed it wouldn’t really matter where he went, a larger city would be preferable for accessibility, but not too large else he’d get stuck in traffic. 

He thought about it a few moments before punching in a location to the ground bridge. It swirled to life in it’s soft green and white glows, casting shadows against the back walls. He walked through slowly, not wanting to transform with Breakdown still inside of him. The light of the sun came into view and he knew he was out, the open air and soft blue sky greeted his arrival. 

Behind him, as his pedes touched the earthen soil, before the soft ‘voomf’ of the bridge closing, he heard the distinct click of the door opening. He turned abruptly to see who had entered, but the portal was gone. 

A small bubble of fear percolated around in his processor, depending on who that was it could have an extreme impact on his ability to get back onto the ship. He deeply hoped it was just a vehicon, and opted to not tell Breakdown. 

\--

Breakdown had no idea how strange subspace was on the inside. The whole concept of it was sort of lost on him. Sure, he knew how to use it as a mech, and he knew somehow the same technology allowed them to do the bridging they did. Being inside Knock Out’s personal subspace though was not what he expected. Using his own had just been second nature, you put stuff in it and then whenever you want it, it comes back out. He never put much thought into the mechanics of it.

There was the inside of Knock Out’s chest, the soft red biolights giving the storage space at least a little illumination. He couldn’t stand up the whole way, having to crouch. Below him, at his knees in a sectioned off area was a casted over bubble, he suspected this is where the spark was housed, and the plating in front of it would open up instead of on top. He put his hand against the metal of the casing, feeling the electric thrum coming from inside. 

It was warm, the tingly electric pulse felt so different through organic hands. The thought that he’d probably hurt Knock Out if he touched his spark like this spiraled off into its own little process tree, giving Breakdown the intrusive thoughts he wished more than anything else about this body he could turn off. He grit his teeth and removed his hands from the back of the spark housing, opting to instead explore the subspace.

Breakdown trailed his hand along the wall, trying not to stumble around as Knock Out moved. It was a steady and predictable movement, but having the floor lurch up and down, even if predictable, made his already unsteady balance difficult. He got to the corner of the chassis, where Knock Out’s chest cavity ended and the actual subspace began, The biolights didn’t extend into the subspace, and Breakdown was reluctant to go where he couldn’t see.

He knew it was finite though, the personal storage doesn’t go on forever, and he trailed his hands along the walls as he walked back into it. It opened up into a larger area and Breakdown could finally stand up. He found the armor Knock Out had made him, as well as a few energon cubes. Some boxes of various parts and assorted cleaning supplies. He thought about putting the armor on, then remembered that the reason they’re going out is the entire reason he isn’t wearing it right now. The further into the subspace he went the stranger it felt, a tingling at his limbs and a weird intense pressure on his chest made him decide to turn around and head back to Knock Out’s front.

He didn’t expect the top to be open and Knock Out staring at him. Breakdown squinted at him, the harsh sunlight beaming in around Knock Out’s head made it difficult to see what Knock Out’s expression was. A large hand dipped into the cavity and pulled him out, sharp fingers closing gently around Breakdown’s body as he was lifted.

“I thought I asked you to stop moving” Knock Out chided, setting Breakdown on the ground. Knock Out’s plating expanded and Breakdown thought for a brief moment that the sportscar would purge. Instead a rippling shudder worked its way through him and the plating collapsed again, held tight against his protoform. 

Breakdown felt his face heat up “That’s easier asked than done...Do you...have to transport me like that?”

Knock Out sighed, shuddering again a moment before slipping down into his vehicle mode. His engines revved and he settled, opening his driver’s door for Breakdown. “I don’t exactly have a better way. Get in.”

Breakdown didn’t move “Isn’t this just going to freak you out more? Knock…”

“Get in!”

“Knock Out I don’t want to! I don’t want you to have to put yourself through this for me!”

“You act like im getting tortured.”

“Aren’t you? I know you hate this.” Breakdown took a reluctant step towards Knock Out. 

“It doesn’t matter. Get. In. Before someone sees you arguing with a car.”

“I really don’t like doing this to you.” Breakdown murmured as he climbed in. 

Knock Out felt having Breakdown in his driver’s seat wasn’t as bad as having him just hanging around in his subspace. It was designed to hold someone, designed to conform around them. Mentally, Knock Out still wasn’t super ok with the whole thing, but physically it didn’t make him want to purge tank like the foray into his chest cavity had. 

There was a moment of awkward silence between them and Knock Out shut his door. Breakdown put the belt on, taking a moment before Knock Out pulled onto the road. The trip from where they bridged in was quiet, Breakdown stared out the window as the passing trees slowly got replaced by more and more suburbia. 

As they hit their first red light Breakdown felt the strap around him tighten slightly, Knock Out’s soft sigh came through the speakers. “I’m not mad at you. I’m mad at this situation in general, not you.”

“But you are mad?” Breakdown replied, placing a hesitant hand on the dash.

“Didn’t we just have this conversation? Of course I’m mad. I have every right to be mad.”

Breakdown waited a moment to reply, the light turned green and he felt Knock Out rumble beneath him “But how...how are we gonna handle this? How am I gonna be able to do this knowing you freak out at the concept of me touching you now?”

“I did not ‘Freak Out’ just, maybe I need to keep you out of my internals for a while. I’m not super opposed to what we’re doing right now.”

“You can’t exactly go around the nemesis in your alt mode.”

“No, but should I have to take you from place to place, this isn’t...the worst. I can still feel you, your touching, your movements, your disgusting heartbeat against my seat. But it’s not as bad. I think in general just. No subspace. It’s not as if I even like regular mechs digging their hands around in there.”

“I’m just worried about it, you know? I don’t want to...hurt you. Not that it hurts but it’s? It’s not good. It’s not good and I don’t like that I’m doing it to you.”

Knock Out sighed and pulled off the road into a little stretch parking lot. “You’re not doing anything to me that I’m not allowing to happen. Remember that.”

Breakdown ran a hand through his hair. That didn’t make it any better, but he knew Knock Out wasn’t likely to budge on it. They pulled into a space and idled off, releasing the belt for Breakdown. “What do I do?” Breakdown asked after a moment.

“Well, from the movies I’ve seen, so take this with a grain because we all know how media is, you’re going to go into one of these places and get clothes. I’ll walk you through it if you need me to. Plus I want to at least see what you’re getting. What you’ll need in my trunk.”

Breakdown laughed and got out of the car, going around to the trunk to pick up a bag Knock Out prepared. It was just a small little satchel, blue and black with a silver latch over top. Breakdown looked inside and found a communicube, a receiver stud, and a packet with what he assumed was earth currency. He recognized it from the movies but he had no real idea what they meant without his translation software. 

“Put the receiver stud on your ear so I can talk to you in there.” 

“My ear?”

“The little fleshy things on the side of your head, that’s how you’re hearing right now.”

“I know what an ear is Knock Out. Won't that look conspicuous? I’m fairly sure people will know.”

“No! Actually humans have some technology that’s fairly similar. I think if you have that, the fact you’ll essentially be talking to yourself shouldn’t be...too weird if it comes to that. If someone asks make something up about business. Business humans wear them.”

Breakdown wrapped the receiver around his ear, clipping the lower end that usually hooked underneath an armor cusp to the fat fleshy part of it. He figured it probably looked silly. 

::Can you hear me?:: came the comm through the stud and Breakdown jumped, clutching the satchel close to his chest. 

“Yeah, yeah I can hear you. Does it have a mic in it? I know it has a camera.” Breakdown shut the trunk and headed off towards the buildings.

::No, but the communicube does. You’re a little muffled but that doesn’t matter. I’m going to tell you what to do and you’re going to do it. If you can avoid talking to me during this duration, that would be ideal.::

“I guess that’s fair.” He looked at the building “Where...should I start? Do you know?”  
\---

The actual shopping took significantly longer than either of them anticipated. Luckily Breakdown picked up the rhythm of things fairly quick: He would find a garment, listen to Knock Out if it was good or not, try it on, listen to Knock Out again whether it was good or not in the mirror, and then either put it back or keep it with him. 

Except finding things that both he and Knock Out agreed on was...difficult. Breakdown wasn’t as familiar with human clothes and their fashion trends; he was very willing to admit that. But he had seen enough of the movies secondhand through Knock Out to have a good idea of what he was looking for. He knew he was what the humans called “a rugged individual” and should probably dress as such. Simple clothes, a top, maybe a ‘jacket’ as they were called. Pants. Simple. 

Knock Out had an entirely different idea, simply stating “this is the only time I actually get to decide how anyone besides myself is going to look and Mortilus damn it I’m going to make sure you look good.”

The haul ended up as a strange mix of the two, plain clothes that Breakdown felt he would be significantly more comfortable in, and the flashy in-your-face garments that Knock Out had picked. 

The only true problem he ran into was that he was on the larger end of humans. Some of the things he tried on just didn’t fit, even in their largest size. Several of the shirts Knock Out picked clung to him, shrink wrapping uncomfortably around his middle and arms. Knock Out told him that’s what was considered attractive by human standards but Breakdown just felt uncomfortable and weirdly exposed.

He felt kinda bad for the poor child at the register. The girl was so small in comparison to him, he hoped she didn’t feel uncomfortable by his presence. He knew in cybertronian standards, a size difference wasn’t that strange, but humans were all roughly the same size and he had no intention of making his presence unbearable. 

She seemed fine, a little confused by his lack of understanding about money, but fine. He eventually told her (through Knock Out’s prompting) that he’s not from here. Which was technically true. She gave him an odd look, but accepted the answer. Gently, she took the wad of cash out of his hand and counted out the bills for him, handing back most of it with a, "Have a good day ma'am."

Because of the large amount handed back Breakdown realized they had significantly more credits than he thought. He’d never been rich a day in his life back on Cybertron, but getting credits here on Earth seemed easy enough. Maybe being an earthlet wouldn’t be the worst if they could keep that up.

The trip back to Knock Out was awkward, multiple bags from the place shoved under his massive arms to make it in one trip. The trunk opened without prompting and Breakdown put them in, watching all the bags fizzle out into the subspace.  
\---

“See? That wasn’t that bad.” Knock Out prompted as Breakdown got back into the driver’s seat.

“No, it wasn’t awful but...I’m really tired. Humans have like no stamina how do they do this all the time?”

“I think that’s just a general organic thing.” Knock Out stated as he pulled back onto the road.

“I don’t know. I think I need to refuel. That’s kind of the feeling I have.”

“Really? You ate just this morning? How much do humans have to consume?”

Breakdown laughed “How would I know? Didn’t you say you did research on this?”

Knock Out sighed, engine humming gently “Only barely. To be honest...the amount of chemistry and foreign biological concepts involved in feeding you is, maybe, a little beyond me. I can only synthesize something that I think meets your biological needs. And apparently it’s gross.”

Breakdown laughed “It’s pretty gross but…” He trailed off a minute, thinking about what to say. Knock Out had been doing so much for him. It wasn’t as if Knock Out was entirely selfish, but Breakdown knew it took some effort on his part to be doing this. He leaned over the steering wheel and rest his forehead in the middle, “...thanks.”


	6. Getting ready.

Breakdown ate more of the grit paste as they drove. Unlike earlier, the silence was growing more comfortable between them. Knock Out’s seat belts tightened gently as he slid to a stop at a light and he cleared his speakers in soft crackle of static. “There is one more thing.”

Breakdown looked at the dash, realizing silently he didn’t actually know where Knock Out’s interior visual input was in his altmode to make eye contact. He swallowed his mouthful of grit and made a questioning grunt, urging Knock Out to go on.

“I need you to race with me.”

Breakdown was so glad he hadn’t taken another bite else he’d have probably spat it. “What?”

“The humans are getting suspicious of me. Or rather, my driver who doesn’t exist. I just need you to make an appearance. Assure the humans that nothing fishy is going on. That’s the only source of terrestrial income I have, and it would be nice to keep it.”

“I’m- I don’t know about that. How would I know?”

“Know what?”

“Know anything! I’ve never raced a day in my life. You’re always driving circles around me.”

“Well, I’ll be doing the racing. I just need you to stand around, look pretty, and then sit in me while I win.” Knock Out sped forwards as the light changed. “Flirt, charm them, the last few times I’ve won I just had them place the winnings in my trunk, and I believe that’s considered rude. You know how I feel about that.”

“And if I mess up?”

“If you ‘mess up’ they’ll just think you’re a weirdo. Humans are surprisingly more accepting of strange social traits than we are. Plus, they already think you’re a fantastic driver because I’ve won so much. It won’t be hard.”

“Alright.” he took a hesitant bite of the grit. “Sure, I’ll do it. You think it’ll be fun?”

“Well I certainly enjoy it.”

Breakdown thought about it for a moment. “Knock...why didn’t you just go to a different town to race? I’m not trying to insult you or nothin’ but...just going somewhere that the humans don’t recognize you seems easier.”

Knock Out genuinely laughed “See? I thought the same thing. The thing is though, this racing is illegal, humans hate fun more than Megatron. So they run on circuits. You have to qualify for each new level you get into so they can keep track of who’s doing what and where. Like a boundry thing. If I kept changing where I raced, I’d have to start back at the street levels each time, and that’s no way to get paid. Plus, I get the distinct impression that with how much effort is put into keeping it underground, someone would catch on to me eventually.”

Breakdown nodded in understanding.

\--

They had to drive a little ways to get to the destination, Knock Out didn’t want to have to call for a bridge and come up with an excuse as to why he was only travelling a short distance over the planet’s surface. The more interaction with the rest of them on The Nemesis he had, the more suspicious his actions would look. He could just stay quiet, and stay hidden, and hopefully no one would be any the wiser.

He was two hours into the drive, Breakdown had crawled into his backseat and curled up to sleep about a half an hour into it. Knock Out didn’t want to admit it, but the gentle heartbeat and light breath on his seats was comforting. It wasn’t an EM field, but it was a constant reminder that Breakdown was there. He was just a soft and sustained presence in Knock Out’s seat and after being without him for so long, Knock Out was thankful for it.

The road stretched out beneath him, human highways were long and thankfully fairly lonely. He passed the occasional semi, but found for the most part he travelled across the stretch in peace. It would be another few hours before he reached his destination. 

He didn’t want to tell Breakdown this would be his first time at the Las Vegas circuit. He kept bumping up in the leagues, and now? Now he would be participating in what he would almost consider a challenge. He contemplated on the irony that he had picked a place so close to where the Autobots’ base was, completely at random. After the omega lock that circuit likely didn’t exist any more. He was just glad he got his invitation before they wiped the little town off the map. 

Back home, his racing frame wasn’t anything special. He wasn’t initially formatted for it, and compared to the natural born racers he’d considered himself an embarrassment. But here on earth, under the disguise of an aston martin, he was a monster compared to them. He knew he could keep up with any human car they could throw at him. The racing, the thrill, the winning and the cheers from the crowd made him feel so much more alright with his frame than anything else had. Even if it was with organisms beneath him, the sheer validation he got out of it was more than payment enough.

\--

The sun was starting to go down by the time Breakdown stirred again. He stretched, pressing his arms and feet against Knock Out’s interior and pressing outwards to arch his back up. Knock Out caught himself perhaps paying too much attention to how his shirt pulled up around his middle and the small grunts of effort Breakdown made. He sat up in the back, wrapping his forearms around the seat in front of him and resting his chin on top of the headrest. 

“You feel any better?” Knock Out prompted. 

“A little, yeah. You’re still driving? How long was I out?” He turned his head to press his cheek against the headrest. 

“A couple of hours. I’m a almost there.”

“And where exactly is...there?”

“Just outside Las Vegas. My research tells me it’s similar to Hedonia”

“Sounds like fun. I never spent that long on Hedonia but I enjoyed it when I did.”

“You’re in luck then. I don’t think I’ll really be able to enjoy it like you will.”

“What?” Breakdown sat up, wrapping his arms a little tighter around the seat. “Why not?”

Knock Out let loose a sardonic laugh “Breakdown I’m a car, if you want to go do anything I’ll have to stay in a garage or just drive around till you’re done.”

Breakdown frowned “I guess you’re right.”

“Hey, if you do want to have fun though, don’t let me stop you. Primus knows you’ve been through some slag.”

“Nah, it wouldn’t feel right. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Knock Out laughed again “Come up into the driver’s seat already, I can’t see you back there.” There was a moment of brief pause before Breakdown ran a hand through his white hair and climbed between the seats over the gear shift, plopping down sideways into Knock Out’s seat. He laid his head against the door and stretched his legs across the gearbox. “Oh please, now you’re just being lewd.”

“Lewd? Excuse me?” Breakdown laughed, “You’re just tiny! I can’t put my legs out all the way in your driver’s seat.”

Knock Out revved his engine, cutting a sharp turn and then re-righting himself onto the road. Breakdown’s head lifted from the door and then smacked back into it. Someone behind them honked as Breakdown hissed through his teeth, sitting up and pulling into a more reasonable position. “Come on Knock that’s just mean.”

Knock Out giggled “I think you had it coming.”

\--

They pulled off the side of the road so Breakdown could change. He used Knock Out to block off sight from the road, changing beside him with a little effort. 

Breakdown took off the black shirt and Knock Out couldn’t help but stare again. He had seen this body many times in the preparation stages, seen him hang lifeless and naked in the tube. This was different though, In movement, alive and full of energy. Breakdown pressed his naked back against Knock Outs side as he pulled the boots off, sliding up a moment as he worked the slim black pants off as well. 

Knock Out wasn’t sure what to make of the feelings Breakdown was presenting him with. A disgusting thought crossed him that he almost wished Breakdown wouldn’t put on the new clothes, just slide in as he was and let Knock Out feel his skin against his seats. Were he not in his altmode he would have shuddered. In disgust or -something else- he wasn’t sure. He just kept watching in silence as Breakdown pulled out the new clothes Knock Out told him to put on.

The pants hugged his thighs, making soft creases around the curve of his backside. The shirt hung more loosely, exposing his arms and his stomach. Knock Out desperately hoped he had picked up human fashion correctly and this was something reasonable to wear. He looked good. Knock Out personally thought he looked great, actually. It was a strange thing to think about a human, to actively think he’s...attractive. Almost. A wave of disgust curdled through his tanks and he shoved it to the back of his mind as Breakdown climbed back in. He put his boots back on as Knock Out pulled back out onto the road, headed to the race.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BD's wearing basically a crop top and skinny jeans. Way to go KO


	7. On your mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super happy with this chapter. I wanted to get all of the race scene done but it was going too long unless I broke it up.  
> Humans suck. KO will probably wreck them off the road at some point. It'll be fun. Who knows.  
> Unbeta'd as always so it's gonna have issues.

The paranoia was something he’d dealt with a long time. It was a constant that he’d been learning how to handle since his days as Menasor. Recently it had been easier, new routines had come up and he started understanding what to expect. Until he _died, apparently._ But in general, the last few years had been remarkably better in comparison to before 

This, however was _convenient._ Breakdown couldn’t shake the feeling that all of this was just so... _ **convenient.**_ Everything seemed _off. Why would there just happen to be a race on the day he was reborn? Why would Knock Out have gone to so much trouble to put this all together?_ He crossed his arms and stewed about it as Knock Out drove. 

Knock Out tugged gently on the seatbelt, getting Breakdown’s attention and rousing him from thoughts. “We’re getting close to the start.”

Breakdown’s response was hesitant but his voice was sure “what if it’s a trap?” 

“Excuse me?”

“This whole thing. It’s kinda, you know.”

“No? what?”

“It’s just so _opportune_ isn’t it? I come back like nothing happened just in time for your big race? So we can parade ourselves publicly? Is someone setting us up?”

Knock Out tittered a moment “I think if that’s the case then someone’s been playing a longer game than Shockwave has. No one knows I race this circuit except a handful of Grunts and Starscream.”

“Starscream knows?”

“Technically. I don’t think he’d do anything with the information. He knows I race here like he knows I like adding nickel to my energon. He won’t do anything with the information.”

“But...Starscream knows.”

“Yes but again, only technically. Megatron has him on a leash right now, so nothing’s going to come of it. Between handling the beast and playing Good Boy, Starscream isn’t going to be an issue for us.”

Breakdown shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “If you say so.”

“What’s gotten into you?”

“This doesn’t seem weird to you at all?”

“Oh, hon; no, it’s weird.”

“And you’re just? What are you? Okay with that? It doesn’t strike you as weird that this all so conveniently lines up?”

Knock Out let out a low laugh, slowing down as he turned onto a side street “I hadn’t really thought about it, to be honest. Considering everything that’s happened I’d rather just take the good fortune in stride.”

Breakdown huffed to himself quietly as they pulled up to an open back alley. There were cars lined up around the edge of the street where it dipped down into a stormwater runoff system. It stretched long and low, the walls rising on either side into steep man-made cliffs on either side of the ravine. 

Breakdown felt his mouth go dry as he realized this would be the moment they had talked about. Somehow the disconnect between Knock Out saying he would have to interact with other humans, and him actually doing it hadn’t set in until this moment. The humans loitered around their cars, leaning on each other and chatting among themselves. Knock Out’s arrival was acknowledged by a few turned heads and aggressive stares. 

“You’re not exactly well liked among them, are you?” Breakdown asked quietly as they pulled up next to a deep blue foreign build. 

“Not really, but that shouldn’t come as much surprise. We’ve never been really well liked, have we?”

Breakdown figured that was true enough. After a quick breath he decided it would be better to just get it over with. The door opened and he stepped out, revealing himself to these humans as he leaned back against Knock Out’s side. Strangely, he felt incredibly exposed, their eyes boring into him. Knock Out had history with these people, but he didn’t. He thought maybe too late that he should have asked Knock Out more about what would be expected.

A woman sauntered in his direction, stopping next to the blue car and handing something to the driver perched on it’s hood. “So, our mysterious racer finally shows her face.” 

Breakdown crossed his arms, not entirely sure what he should say to her. The communicator in his ear crackled with static of the comm turning on, Knock Out’s voice came through softly. “She’s the flagman.”

Her voice was gruff, harsher than Breakdown would have thought. “You’re not exactly what I expected.”

Breakdown clenched his jaw “What’d you expect?”

The other humans were looking their way now, jostling one another and whispering to themselves. He felt exposed in a way that was entirely unfamiliar. Dislike wasn’t uncommon, he was used to having mechs size him up and make a judgement based on his appearance. But this? The air was deathly thick with how much they didn’t trust him. He was the same size as many of them, he couldn't throw his weight around like he was used to. He'd have to play it smart, a game he was never good at.

“I expected...something else/” She gestured to him. A holler of affirmation roused from somewhere in the small crowd at her words.

The man on the hood of the blue car slipped off, handing the thing back to the woman. “Bitch I’m gonna stomp your ass right here.” His feet fell heavy and he stopped directly in front of Breakdown, only inches away. “You got a lot of nerve coming around after that last shit you pulled.”

Breakdown wished Knock Out would tell him what to say over the comm, but after a hesitant moment he realized he was on his own for this. He squared himself up and pushed off of Knock Out, coming to terms that he stood the same height as this man. “I’m just here to race, man. That’s all. I’m not trying to start anything.” He couldn't intimidate like this! He was too used to his size being deterrent enough for fights he didn't pick. 

“Oh no, You never start nothin!” came a voice from behind them. 

Breakdown turned around, intent on fixing a glare on whoever spoke. Bright light came down on the area blinding him and stopping the commotion. What sounded like a comm unit crackled above them. “ALL RACERS ARE PRESENT. YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TILL START.” 

Breakdown squinted, trying desperately to see past the lights to whoever was speaking. It reminded him of the arena lights in the gladiatorial pits. He’d only been down there a handful of times, but he remembered that the lighting was so harsh you couldn’t actually see any of the crowd as you fought. 

The human in front of him practically growled as he turned back, mere inches from brushing noses. The woman had sidled up next to him, pulling him back from Breakdown. “Fight after. Kick each other's ass in the race first like good kids.” 

“Yeah, whatever.” He shook her off, sneering at Breakdown and stepping back, fixing to get into his car. “When you lose I’m gonna gut you. All of us are. In case you ain't noticed, no one wants you here.” 

More affirmations from the crowd came in his direction. He felt like all their eyes were on him. Breakdown didn’t exactly know what ‘gutting’ entailed but he had an idea it wasn’t good. He sneered at them, baring his teeth in what he thought would be intimidating and pulled on Knock Out's door, getting in quickly.

\--

Back inside Knock Out Breakdown let out a shaky breath. “Knock, what the hell?”

A laugh greeted him “well it’s not what I expected either.”

The woman walked in front of the car line holding two flags, talking into a handheld communicator with someone. The rest of the racers got into their vehicles while ending their conversations. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits with each other, aside from the two newcomers. Breakdown ran a shaky hand through his hair, clipping the seat belt back on. “No, they hate you- me- Augh. They hate you. What did you do? You told me I just had to smile a little and flirt and everything would be cool!” The woman closed her communicator. “This isn’t cool!”

“I think I also told you that I had to interact with them as only a car, didn’t I? So yeah, I came off as rude, which is what I was hoping your presence was going to fix.” The engines next to them revved dangerously, reminiscent of pre-battle prep.

“That guy is gonna eat me. I think he’s actually going to try to eat me.” Breakdown gripped the wheel. Did humans eat each other? “Why are we even doing this? Don’t you have enough credits?” They probably did. 

Flags raised ahead of them, a voice from the speakers outside breaking through again. “COUNTDOWN IN FIVE.”

“We’re doing this to secure my place in the next title bout. I thought acting tough and brutish was your -thing- why are you upset”

“FOUR”

“Title Bout? Knock they’re going to murder me! I’m just a human now I don’t have any defenses!”

“THREE”

“They wont murder anyone!”

“You can kill humans so easy! All it takes is them to run you into a wall and im dead!”

“TWO”

“I’m the only one running anyone into walls!”

“You're going to kill me too!”

“ONE”

Knock Out sighed, Revving himself as hard as he could “Just hold on!”

“GO”

The flags were swung and Breakdown was thrust back into the seat as Knock Out rocketed forwards. “We’ll talk about this in a moment! Just let me secure my place first!”


	8. adrenaline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd and ooc as usual

Breakdown screamed and Knock Out tugged at him with the seatbelt, keeping him tucked firm against the seat. The sheer immediate speed that they were travelling at was completely terrifying. The experience was more akin to what he felt in ship launching and spacecraft than he remembered what it felt like to drive. He would later think that made sense in context, but in the moment it was awful.

After the speed nausea died down a moment Breakdown tried to figure out where they were.  
Knock Out was running along the ravine next to some heavy spoilered neon green beast of a sports car. There were four more ahead of them, Breakdown only recognized two of the models, but all were vying for the front position. They smacked into each other with extreme prejudice, slamming the opponents into the walls of the long ravine. Breakdown tried to turn his head to see how many were behind them but Knock Out snapped the seat belt against him, indicating for him to stay put. “I’m going to hit some of them! I need you to not move!”

Breakdown could feel a thrum inside him quicken, it lept up his throat and pounded in his head. Knock Out swerved and rammed into the green car next to them, pushing it up against the ravine wall, scraping off its mirror and paint. Breakdown winced, flinching his arms up and holding himself tightly.

The car conceded, yielding behind them. Knock Out pulled forwards, tapping the car in front of him. Breakdown knew that would leave a mark on Knock Out as well but he didn’t seem to care, too focused on running with these cars and pushing them off the track. 

Breakdown recognized this carnal feeling from war. On the battlefield it had brought pleasure. A thick heady feeling of destruction and punishment against others simply for his own benefit. Outside of war it only caused anxiety, his hands were going numb from gripping his sides so hard. 

Knock Out was feeling it. Relishing in the consuming bloodlust that kept them going for so many cycles. 

Knock Out rammed into the car in front of them again, pushing it off course and spinning it behind them. A cacophonous boom echoed only moments after, indicating one of the racers behind them had hit it. Breakdown didn’t dare look.

“He-ey~, I blocked the track!” Knock Out sounded incredibly pleased with himself. “Looks like we only have to deal with the other three from here on out.”

“Do you have to?”

Knock Out pulled up beside the blue car from earlier. “Do what now?”

“Knock, I know you can beat them without hurting them.” Breakdown took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “Defeat them with your speed.”

“Well, I could, but where’s the fun in that?” 

They were quickly running out of ravine, opening down into a tunnel that went beneath the city. The sides opened up into more of an incline and the racers drove up, running along each other on the outsides of the city. Knock Out slammed into the blue car, tires screaming as they pushed at each other. 

“Knock Out please!”

“Just let me win Breakdown! I understand you’re scared and I’m sorry! I have to do this though!”

Scared? He hadn’t really realized that his fear would have been perceptible to Knock Out. The seatbelt tugged against him again, holding him tight as Knock Out fought the other car. He realized Knock Out was...holding him. Essentially. Doing his best to keep breakdown pressed close and secure. 

The blue car yeilded to them and Knock Out sped forwards, catching up easily to the remaining two cars.

“Just pass them.” Breakdown’s words were quiet, meant more as a wish than actually asking Knock Out at this point.

Knock Out crawled along behind the second place car. It was black, sleek and beautiful. Knock Out’s engine thrummed, keeping up close behind. “Does it really bother you that much?” He asked suddenly.

Breakdown took a shaky breath. He tried to speak but had to take another before anything could come out. “Yes!”

Knock Out remained silent, waiting till they were past a row of dimly lit human habitations before pulling around the other cars, speeding up and easily taking his place at the front.

Breakdown finally relaxed his grip. His hands hurt from grasping his sides so hard and he had marks in his skin from it. A few moments of flexing and the feeling started to return to his fingertips, numbness edging into an uncomfortable prickling sensation. 

“Is this because you’re human now?” Knock Out asked as he turned a corner, speeding down a more populated street. 

“I don’t...know. Maybe.”

“Humans aren’t really meant to go fast. Is that why you’re scared?”

Breakdown didn’t know how to answer that. “Maybe?”

“If I recall correctly, usually I was the one trying to call you off of breaking things when you were…”

“Normal?”

Knock Out laughed “In the moment.” He took a sharp left, heading back to the starting line to finish out the race.

“You didn’t have to stop.”

“Mmm...I think I did. Normally everyone in these races tries to kill each other a little, but….” Knock Out paused a moment to think of how to word what he was saying while weaving in and out of the sparse traffic to get back to the start. “If it bothers you I don’t think it’s worth it.”

“Bothers me?”

“Breakdown I drug you into this mess, I’m not going to traumatize you within your first week of your new life. You’re clearly stressed out right now, your little human heart is beating dangerously fast and you smell like that...oh whats it called? Adeline? Andrenline? Whatever. You’re not handling this well and I don’t even have to be a doctor to see that. I shouldn’t have brought you here, and I’m sorry.”

Breakdown felt a swell of emotion briefly come up. He already felt a little traumatized, certainly no one even asked him if he wanted to be a human in the first place before doing this to him. But Knock Out had his back. Knock Out was here to listen to him, just as he was before. Breakdown didn’t know how to respond to what Knock Out told him other than mumble a small, “Thank you.”

\--

They hit the finish line far ahead of the remaining three racers. The woman with the flags shot them a scowl and gave them a hand gesture to wait. Breakdown sighed softly, rubbing the dash after a moment of contemplation. Knock Out purred gently beneath him as the other three racers finally sped in one at a time. 

Breakdown didn’t even have to get out of the car again, the woman brought over a sack and smacked Knock Out’s trunk. Breakdown laughed when he realized this is just normally how Knock Out would win. They drove off shortly afterwards, Breakdown eyeing the blue car’s driver and the way he seemed to stare at Knock Out with foul intent.

“You ready to head back to the nemesis?” Knock Out asked once they hit the road. Breakdown nodded and Knock Out sent a comm “Knock Out to bridge room, I’m ready for a pickup.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOF sorry this took me so long to update. Finding time to write between a job and being a full time student is hard. Chapters will likely be less common as time goes on, but I do have every intention of finishing this story, don't worry. I'd figure im only about a third of the way through what I have planned.


	9. On the kiss of Las Vegas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'd as usual

There was no response.

Knock Out waited a moment before trying again, “I repeat: Knock Out to bridge room, I’m ready to come back.” 

The response speakers remained silent. Breakdown sat up a little in his seat as they continued to drive around the outskirts of Las Vegas, “Do you think they’re ignoring you again?”

Knock Out grumbled, “probably. I should have guessed something like this would happen.” He made a sharp turn, pulling into a side street. “Well, it may be a little bit then. Are you alright with that?”

Breakdown shrugged, “I have to be don’t I? There’s not a whole lot of choice here.”

Knock Out hummed in agreement. “If that’s the case I’m going to look for a place to pull over so I can eat one of the cubes I brought. You need anything? You can try some real human food if you want, you don’t have to just eat the synthetic meal replacement I made.”

“I don’t...think I need to eat again? It’s hard to tell.”

“Wouldn’t you just know?”

“No, not really. It’s not like I have a HUD or system diagnostics any more.”

Knock Out made a restrained noise, “Oh no, that’s probably weird isn’t it?”

“Yes!” Breakdown exclaimed, “It’s really weird! I have no idea at all what my body wants! It just...does stuff!”

“So how do you know if you don’t have a fuel gage?”

“It kinda hurts? Maybe? I don’t know how to describe it. You just kinda know. Like uh, like when you go near the old electricity plants and it made your chronometer all screwy. You still know time is passing and stuff, you just don’t have your timepiece.”

Knock Out laughed, “As if I was ever near the manufacturing district outside of the day I was put into an adult frame.” He turned again, pulling off into an undeveloped subdivision with several construction vehicles abandoned for the night. “I think I understand though. I mean I don’t, but...I get what you’re going for. If my fuel gage broke I think I’d know when I got around maybe 30 percentish. You just get tired.”

“Yeah, kinda. I guess. I mean I haven’t exactly been in this body enough to really know for sure. I just assume that based on what little I have to go off of.”

Knock Out pulled off the side of the road, giving the area a quick scan before letting Breakdown out and transforming into his root mode. “I’m fairly sure this area won’t have visitors for the time being.”

Making his way to one of the construction vehicles, a backhoe, Breakdown nodded. “Yeah, it’s super weird that the humans just leave these boys lying around when they’re not using them.”

“It’s kinda creepy.” Knock Out agreed with him as he pulled a cube from his subspace. He pressed his thumb through a top corner of the cube, letting it oxidize in the earth’s air for a moment before he took a sip. “Like a Constructicon graveyard.”

He watched Breakdown climb on the construction equipment, eventually finding a spot of ground that looked the least dirty and sitting down to observe. The cube was slightly stale, a few earth months old maybe. He commed the Nemesis again on a private channel so he wouldn’t worry Breakdown. There was still no response, but not in the usual way. 

Normally when he would be reprimanded for going on the surface and they liked to leave him, there would at least be a received signal. He’d get data back to clarify that he’d been heard, and succinctly ignored. But this was more like when Starscream broke the receiver the other day. But that made no sense, they’d repaired that, hadn’t they? He’d used the Nemesis’ comms since then he was sure of it. There was no data received information this time on the private channel. 

He grimaced into his cube, watching Breakdown fall out of the cabin of the backhoe out of the corner of his optic. 

Something felt amiss. A slow sense of wrongness started to fall over him. Knock Out wasn’t one for premonitions or spiritualism. He may not have grown up in the educated higher castes, but he considered himself a man of science. He didn’t know why he would be so concerned about not receiving a signal this time around when the exact same thing happened only days prior. He hadn’t cared at all then, it was merely an inconvenience. 

They were only gone for seven hours what could possibly have gone wrong in that time? Knock Out realized that actually a lot could have gone wrong in that time, but it still wouldn’t have been enough to warrant this feeling of imminent danger he held.

Breakdown returned to him, laying on the ground at his feet. “Knock Out I’m wet.” The face Knock Out pulled at that exclamation made Breakdown curl up in his laughter. 

“Don’t be so lewd, Primus help me.” He growled, “I assume you mean sweat.”

Nodding, Breakdown rolled over onto his stomach. “It’s just as gross as you said it would be.”

Knock Out tried not to sound distracted by his thoughts about the state of the Nemesis. Breakdown was doing better, and that was significant. He had been worried during the race. His new little heart, fresh from bioprinting, beating so fast against his seat. The hormones and the sheer fear in his voice scared Knock Out in a way he hadn’t been expecting. 

It had been wrong to take him to that race. If Knock Out were being honest with himself, looking down at Breakdown wearing the ridiculous outfit he had picked out, all of this was wrong. He didn’t particularly care for ethics that much, but it felt cruel in a way. He should have let Breakdown sleep in the nest he had made. Let Breakdown come to terms with his existence slowly, not force him like Knock Out had been doing. His first day at being alive had gone so...horrible.

Breakdown needed time, and his mental health was suffering for it. Knock Out remembered the days immediately after Breakdown had broken his gestalt bonds with the Stunticons. He was paranoid, delusional, and suffered from some of the most awful anxiety Knock Out ever had to treat. (Not that he really treated that much in the first place, he was a surgeon, not a mental health specialist.)

Knock Out had been proud of how far he had come from that flighty panicked bot he used to be. During the race though, That was the exact same. That was the Breakdown under extreme mental duress. It made Knock Out sick to his stomach to know he had put Breakdown in that situation. 

He reached out a hand to gently cup Breakdown’s head, scratching the fur there gently. It was softer than Knock Out expected. Breakdown leaned into the touch, reaching out a tentative hand to wrap around Knock Out’s finger. After a moment he abruptly sat up, burying his face into Knock Out’s palm and wrapping his arms around the hand. Knock Out finished the cube, rubbing his thumb gently against Breakdown’s back. 

“I think the humans sleep soon. Your circadian rhythm should be making you tired.”

“I slept earlier while you drove.”

“You need more sleep than that.”

Breakdown nodded, keeping his face shoved into Knock Out’s palm. “Probably. Don’t know how i'm gonna get it though if we can’t go back.”

“You can sleep in me again, I didn’t mind all that much.”

Breakdown released his tiny grip on Knock Out’s hand, raising his head to look him in the eye. No words were spoken for a moment, just a gentle silence between them. “I think I’d like that. You don’t...think I’m gross...do you?”

“You’re. Well. You’re not. Ah.” Knock Out fumbled over his words.

Breakdown grinned, “I’m not offended if you think it’s disgusting. How could I be upset at you thinking I’m gross when I think I’m gross? I’m pretty awful right now.”

“You’re...not. Don’t say that.”

Breakdown stared at him, eyes wide in immediate confusion.

“Humans are...organic. Organics are messy. But you’re Breakdown so you’re messy anyway and...and...I’m coming to terms with you. You’re not gross. Just...new. The same thing in a new way.”

“New, huh?” 

Knock Out lifted his hand, raising his arms over his head for a good stretch and then collapsing back down into his alt. “All of this is new. The way I see it I either have the choice to get over it and keep you as my partner, or freak out over every new little thing you do and lose you again, just in a different way.”

“I wouldn’t leave you over that.” Breakdown said, climbing into the backseat. 

“No, and I wouldn’t leave you either...but I could see intentionally distancing myself from you because I have these issues and I don’t want that. I don’t want to lose you again, especially not because I can’t handle something.”

Breakdown laid out on Knock Out’s backseat, flopping his arms off the sides and out the door. He pressed a soft kiss to the fabric beneath him, hoping it could stand in for the words he didn’t know how to reply with. “Being human sucks. I'm not tired, by the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think? smut next time? possibly? Either next time or the time after that. Soon though. Soon.


	10. A crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK well I lied, there's no smut this chapter, but there will be soonish.  
> Unbeta'd as usual.
> 
> A warning: this chapter involves mild gore and unintentional misgendering.

A core shattering pain ripped Knock Out awake with a scream, something small and hard had shattered his front left headlight. Knock Out turned his sensors on as fast as he could, backing away from whatever had hit him. 

Breakdown startled, falling to the floor in the backseat. Knock Out turned on his remaining headlight, dousing a figure in bright bioluminescence. It was yelling something, aggressively waving it’s arms around with a stick in one hand. Breakdown forced his way into the front, pushing aside Knock Out’s passenger seat while yelling back at the man from inside. 

His engine revved as he backed up further, more secondary programs started themselves up. Facial recognition targeted the man as the circuit racer who had some sort of beef with him, advancing and taking another swing with the bat which Knock Out continued to reverse away from. Language processing and translation software booted up, finally letting him parse just what exactly was going on.

“Who the hell do you think you are!?” He yelled, bringing the stick down on top of Knock Out’s hood. “Bitch come out and face me!”

Knock Out took the bait and shifted his seats, shoving his internals around and forcefully pressing Breakdown into his subspace. He transformed and stood up, scraping the ground for a moment in his anger. The smack on his hood spun his gyros and he was having a hard time balancing, but he knew the human didn’t have to know that, he just had to be afraid enough to leave. 

Knock Out got no such luck as the human advanced again and took a real hard swing at his shin. Knock Out fell to his knees, grabbing the human in the process and pressing him into the dirt. They were snarling and spitting, Knock Out was sure he had his language processor on but they apparently weren’t speaking any comprehensible language, just yelling. 

He hissed through his teeth, sending Breakdown a comm before remembering that wasn’t an option. His chest panels spiraled open and he peeked inside, coming face to face with a Breakdown half naked, half covered in the armor he had made. He took a moment to cycle air and asked, “You doing ok in there?”

Breakdown nodded and then poked his head out of Knock Out’s chest, peering down at the human Knock Out was pressing into the ground. He took a breath before asking, “Can you let me down?”

Knock Out wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, but lowered his chest to the ground anyway. Breakdown stumbled out with little grace but righted himself well enough. Knock Out’s gyros were still spinning and he clicked his mouth a few times, willing them to stop so they could just get this over with. Being dizzy while conducting an interrogation was not how Knock Out planned to spend this night. 

Breakdown squatted next to the man, looking him over good. He snarled at Breakdown, effectively doing nothing as he was trapped by Knock Out’s massive hand pressing down on him. “What are you doin’ out here man?” Breakdown finally asked him.

He spit and yelled for a while before the only comprehensible phrase of “You’re goddamn monsters!” was uttered.

“So you’re what?” Breakdown sat on the ground, “Gonna kill us? You were gonna try to kill me?”

The man thrashed under Knock Out’s hand. His gyros had finally started to slow down and he picked the horrible little human up as he sat across from breakdown. “Listen human,” Knock Out started “I am really not in the mood. Look what you did to me?” He jerked the human and pointed at his smashed headlight and thoroughly beat-in hood, letting the large dent on his shin stand as a granted. “That’s not going to come out with a buff! So you better start talking because I have very little patience with you right now.”

“The fuck are you!?” He spat, still wiggling to try and get away after all this time. 

“Ok, no, I’m asking the questions, not you.” He gave the human a good hard shake, noting Breakdown’s little grin as he did so. “Why are you here? Did you follow us?”

The man didn’t answer for a moment and Knock Out shook him again till he screamed. Gasping, he finally got out, “Ya’ll are cheating! You’re some kind of one of them gundams and you’re cheating! That’s my race! Yain’t supposed to win! We had money in it you bitch! You ruined it!”

Knock Out nodded slowly, “Ok, well, you’re a loser, we’ve established this. Did you follow us? Is that how you found us here?”

The little human bent backwards in Knock Out’s hand to stare at Breakdown, still squatted on the ground where he had been questioning the man. He turned back up to Knock Out, “Didja kidnap her?”

Knock Out gave him another real hard shake, dropping him on the ground and pressing his thumb against his back. “Just answer the question you tiny idiot. Did you follow us?”

He screamed and thrashed a moment before a strangled little, “Of course I did!” came from him. 

Breakdown stood from where he was squatted on the ground, walking over to the human. He stared for a good long moment before turning to Knock Out. “Should we kill him?” 

Knock Out laughed and the man became immediately stone still. “I thought you were against all this violence we used to get up to now. Also, no, I don’t think we should.”

Breakdown picked up the man’s stick, giving it a good couple of swings. He liked that there were little metal pointy bits driven into the end, that was nice. “I only dislike it when I feel like I’m gonna die. These bodies don’t handle things well.” He swung the stick again. “Hey human what is this thing?”

“The bat?” he responded.

“Bat. I like it. I’m taking this.”

“You’re not...human?” He asked hesitantly. The way he trailed his eyes across Breakdown’s body, stopping over his exposed chest made Knock Out furious in a possessive way he didn’t entirely realize he felt. He pressed down on the man till he heard a creaking yelp from him. 

“No more questions, I’ll change my mind about letting Breakdown kill you.” The man looked back and forth from Breakdown and Knock Out, then nodded. “You followed us here. You’ve seen me, you’ve seen Breakdown. Likely you’ve told at least someone where you were going and what you were going to do, yes?”

The man looked like he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to respond or not, so he just simply nodded after a moment. 

“Ok. You’re going to go back to them, and you’re going to tell them that we beat the slag out of you. Which we did. Then you’re going to tell them that you’re not going to mess with us any more, which you aren’t.”

“Like hell I will! I’ll tell everyone you’re monsters! ” he shouted before Knock Out pressed down on him again. Breakdown wasn’t entirely paying attention, focused more on swinging the new bat around but he heard the very distinctive crunch and splutch followed by mangled screaming. 

Knock Out hummed thoughtfully, “Well that confirms one hypothesis I guess. Stop screaming- stop. Stop it.” The noises the human made died down after a moment into breathy whimpering. Breakdown lowered the bat. “Now listen, human. You’re going to tell them you lost. And you are never, going to show up in front of me again, do you understand? I don’t want to see you, I don’t want to see your ugly-aft car, I don’t ever, ever, want to hear you’ve been looking for me or Breakdown again. Do you understand me?” Breakdown turned around, seeing the human shake horribly in the light from Knock Out’s single working headlight, his body broken somewhere in the middle. 

Knock Out scooped his body up off the ground. Standing up and walking over to his car he shoved him inside the back seat. “Go ahead and tell them what you saw. No one will believe you. Also, physicians advice, I suggest you make yourself a phone call to come get picked up. You can’t be driving in your...condition. Probably ever.”

He slammed the door shut and Breakdown watched as Knock Out stalked back over to him. He fell into his alt mode and Breakdown winced sympathetically as the hood slid into place. That really had to hurt, it was dented right in the middle where the transformation seams split. His broken headlight spit bio sparks as it tried to flutter back to life and failed. The back door opened and Breakdown got in wordlessly, wrapping his arms around the front seat in the mimicry of a hug. 

Knock Out sped away as fast as he could, driving away from the city and into the desert. 

\--

They hadn’t been driving for too long when Knock Out pulled over again. Breakdown could tell he was tired, both physically and mentally. “I need to recharge,” was all the car said after a moment. 

Breakdown nodded, looking out the window at the night sky. It was early morning and dawn would be coming soon, but Knock Out only got a few hours of recharge after driving nearly all day, and then getting wounded and driving some more he guessed Knock Out would be exhausted. Breakdown felt sympathetic, stroking the seat gently. 

Knock Out powered down almost immediately, but Breakdown lay awake, sleep eluding him for the moment. He didn’t know what to expect from the man, whether local authorities would be called or if they’d have the same tenacity as some of the cybertronian police he’d dealt with in the past. Breakdown had vague memories of hiding in a safe house, his field wrapped so tightly against himself as Prowl thoroughly searched for him inches away from the opening. He couldn’t remember how it ended, but he was still around so he guessed it must have been ok. 

He rolled over on Knock Out’s seat, still stroking it gently. He missed his field, his ability to read and communicate with his own species. He supposed that probably hurt the most out of everything else. Not having a HUD was inconvenient, being small was impractical, but not having his field made him feel cut-off and dissociated. 

If nothing else, he could tell Knock Out was hurting and tired. The Nemesis still hadn’t responded, which was getting to the point that it was genuinely odd and concerning. He wanted to help the best he could but he felt worthless, what could he possibly do in this situation? It’s not like he had a comm himself or could help fix Knock Out. 

He smushed his face into Knock Out’s seat, sighing loudly. He was tired, blood still racing from the action but the need for sleep was growing within him. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off.

\--

The next time Knock Out woke it was naturally, gently drifting up out of recharge to focus on some pleasant feeling amidst the pain in his front. A process tree started up and he guessed it must be breakdown, doing something in his back seat. It felt warm and soft, and though he was hesitant to bring himself fully online just yet, he did so anyway. 

The Nevada desert greeted him with gentle morning sun, warming his outside and lighting up their surroundings. He could vaguely see the remnants of Las Vegas on the horizon, the rest of the land was just sandy desert and bush with a few mountainous outcroppings. He had a hard time admitting anything nice about this awful planet but it was...pretty.

His attention finally turned inwards, focusing on Breakdown for a moment. He was still in recharge, sleeping gently in Knock Out’s back seat. Knock Out noted that he had taken the armor off at some point, piling it into his front passenger seat and sleeping with nothing on. Knock Out figured he could wake him, but somehow just letting him sleep felt better. He didn’t have to do anything, just stay there and watch him. 

He had seen this body so many times already and yet he was still able to marvel at it. Little locks of white hair fell gently over his sleeping eyes, obscuring them from Knock Out’s view. His chest rose and fell gently in time with his air cycling, rubbing against Knock Out’s back seat. It felt nice, he thought. Part of him was vaguely reminded of the time he was symbiote-sitting for soundwave and Ravage fell asleep on him. Except where that had been vaguely threatening and worrying, Breakdown’s little frame held no problems for Knock Out. 

He had been afraid to handle him too much, unsure of how much pressure could be put on a human before they broke. Last night had been good for finding out, but Knock Out was concerned that the pressure limit really wasn’t all that high, they broke so easily and readily it was a miracle this disgusting species was able to survive at all. 

Breakdown shifted, rubbing against him as he rolled over and made some sort of clicking noise in his throat. It was cute. Sort of. Knock Out found himself not nearly as disgusted as he had been only a day before. Humans in general? Sure, awful little things that he wanted nothing to do with. This human? He was fine. Knock Out came to the conclusion that he didn’t...really have any issue with it. Breakdown would leak and spill on him, surely, but how was that really any different than when they would share berth and wake up next to oral emissions from where he slept with his mouth open? 

He idled gently, rumbling a soft purr into the morning air. He ached from his front, and didn’t know how he was going to explain that to Megatron or the others. It was technically just cosmetic damage, but it hurt. 

He commed The Nemesis, not surprised when, again, there was no reply.


	11. Suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is entirely porn and there is no plot here. The only personal revelations they have is that Knock Out isn't grossed out by Breakdown's body.

Knock Out watched Breakdown sleep gently for an hour. His naked body was still, breathing gently in his back seat. It really did remind Knock Out of a kibbleless protoform, the outline of his muscles cutting off where transformation seams would be. The color was all wrong of course, Breakdown’s protoflesh having been a stark red-orange of a company owned line of cold constructed mine workers. The human was brown with light warm tones flushed around his shoulders and face.

As he kept examining he came to realize his chest was sort of odd, and Knock Out didn’t really know what to make of it. After a quick internet search he guessed that’s why everyone kept referring to Breakdown as female. He didn’t have much knowledge of it himself, knowing the differences of femmes and mechs in his own species were just superficial and aesthetic at best. Humans had...some other kind of difference though, and Knock Out wasn’t entirely sure why it mattered so much. It seemed cultural and oppressively imposed in a way that made his sensible decepticon ideologies crawl. It clearly didn’t seem to bother Breakdown, if he had even noticed. 

Though, Breakdown was still muscular and thick, not like any of the images that Knock Out was pulling up from the internet with all the thin and waify human women. They reminded him more of the demure frames of seekers than the femmes he knew, many of which were larger than he was. He finally just chalked it up to a lack of cultural understanding and went back to watching breakdown, marvelling at his little body as he slept. No one would start anything with him because of it. If they did then he’d deal with it just as he did with the oppressive class structure on Cybertron, with his saws and anger. 

Breakdown stirred gently, waking up as the sun climbed a little higher in the sky. The interior of the car was warm, verging on being hot, but for the moment it was comfortable. He stretched, pressing the palms of his hands and the flats of his feet against Knock Out’s doors, pressing outwards on them to stretch himself out. Knock Out hummed gently in response, “Good morning to you too.”

Breakdown rolled over on his back, beaming a big smile at Knock Out’s ceiling. “Mmmm, good morning!”

Knock Out couldn’t keep his sensors off Breakdown, feeling the small body within him move and rub against his seats. It was exciting, sensually exciting. He hadn’t focused on it much yesterday, everything being a blur of things he had to get done, but today there was nothing. There were no objectives to complete except get Breakdown to try some human food and to get ahold of the still non-responsive Nemesis. 

Breakdown’s hands came to rest on his abdomen, drumming his fingers against his thick torso. “What are we doing now?” 

He was, if Knock Out thought of him like a protoform, fairly sexy right now. Hair messed up, gentle sleepy face, and relaxed body language; if it had to be a human Knock Out couldn’t think of anything possibly better on a human. 

Knock Out pulsed noncommittally through his EM field before remembering that Breakdown couldn’t feel it. “There’s not much of anything to do. We got everything done yesterday.”

“We did a lot yesterday.” Breakdown rubbed his hips against Knock Out’s seat, adjusting his aft.

“We...did. So today is going to be a little less hectic. We’re gonna relax, ça va être bien.” His engine thrummed gently beneath them, and he could feel Breakdown tense his muscles as a response. 

He wanted...he wasn’t sure what he wanted. To feel more of him, perhaps. To have that tiny reactive body move against him. He wanted to feel those little hands grip his seams and tug. Wanted Breakdown to come apart against him, inside him, like this. He kicked up his engine vibration, wanting if nothing else to see Breakdown’s reaction.

Breakdown looked around a little concerned, shifting his hips again. “I’m kinda glad, honestly. Yesterday was...a lot. I want to try sleeping in the nest you made for me.”

“I think you’ll like it. I wasn’t entirely sure how to scale it down to something nice for you, I don’t remember a lot about where I was born to be honest.” Knock Out supplied with a true rev of his engine. “But, as always, I did my best.”

Breakdown clenched his back muscles again at the rev, supplying Knock Out with a small gasp. “Hey Knock do you gotta rumble like that?” He asked, fisting his palms against his stomach.

Knock Out thought maybe It was gross to be intentionally turning on a human body. But he was also incredibly thrilled to be turning on his husband like this and he couldn’t decide which end of the spectrum he was falling into. On one hand, humans were nasty. On the other, he couldn’t think of anything he’d rather be doing than making gentle morning love to his husband at the moment. Knock Out considered stopping, but instead just said, “I like seeing what it does.”

“Knock Out it’s. Ah. I can feel it though.”

“Well I’d hope you can feel it” He laughed.

“No Knock Out I mean its! It’s um. It’s getting me. You know.” He waved a hand down towards his nether region, grinding his hips against Knock Out’s seat again.

He practically purred, making the decision to keep going. “That’s the intent.”

“So...if this is what we’re doing then how is it gonna happen. Game plan, Knock Out. Tell me what’s up.” Breakdown sat up, biting his lower lip. 

“Well, first let’s um...here.” Knock Out transformed around Breakdown, scooting him onto the desert ground and rising up into his root mode. He picked Breakdown up by his middle, holding him in one hand. “There’s no one out here, I assume it’s safe for me to be like this.”

“But how are we gonna do it? Knock Out I’m tiny and I don’t even have a spike any more if you haven’t noticed.”

Knock Out hadn’t noticed, just assumed it was retracted or something. Not that he thought getting spiked by something the size of a toothpick was even on the agenda. “Well what do you have down there?” He gently lifted one of Breakdown’s legs, revealing a pink little valve surrounded by sparse dusty white hair. “Oh, no I can work with that. Is that alright?”

Breakdown laughed, finding this position a little awkward but still pleased that Knock Out had gone from unable to touch him to wanting this in less than a day. “I mean I just woke up and you’re crawling all over me so I guess nothing’s really changed.”

Knock Out sat down slowly, cradling Breakdown’s body as he ran his hands over him. “How could you expect any less of me?” He asked. His hands moved around Breakdown’s body, rubbing gently against him. Those two things on his chest made Breakdown gasp when Knock Out rubbed against them so he did so relentlessly, he only let up on his touching there when Breakdown moved to grab them himself, focusing on the little darker area in the middle. 

As fascinating as it was to watch Breakdown get himself off with his chest, Knock Out did know for sure that there was a better prize in the valve. “I’m gonna try something, I think you’ll like it but don’t freak out.” 

Breakdown paused the kneading at his chest, large hands still clasped over each one. “What are you planning?” 

“Well, I was always good at eating you out I figured i’d do it again.” he pressed his lips to Breakdown’s middle, kissing him on the stomach. He tasted like salt, oddly enough, and Knock Out found he really didn’t dislike it. He thought humans would have tasted like dirt or carbon, but salt was entirely acceptable for kissing. 

He hooked one of Breakdown’s legs around his thumb, spreading him more open as he worked his way down lower. Breakdown was making noises and tugging at his chest, eyes squeezed shut and head thrown back in a delight Knock Out had forgotten he could wring from his husband. They hadn’t even gotten started and he already looked close to climax. Knock Out smirked against his skin, pressing a long deep kiss between Breakdown’s legs. 

It was also salty, sort of tangy in an organic way that Knock Out decided he didn’t think he minded that much. He stuck his tongue out to gently rub and lap at Breakdown’s folds. It was remarkable how similar it felt to a valve, there was even a node at the top that he lovingly ground his upper lip against. Breakdown practically wailed, clutching his legs around the sides of Knock out’s head and thumb. Nothing would be going inside him, Knock Out knew that already.

He lapped for a while, letting Breakdown ride this high for as long as he could make it last. He felt his own valve start up a lubrication cycle and try to clench down on nothing so he let his panels pop open while leaning back to lie on the ground. Breakdown straddled his mouth unaided and Knock Out moved his hands lower, digging his claws into transformation seams and eventually getting a good grip on his spike. 

palms flat on Knock Out’s face, Breakdown ground himself down on Knock Out’s tongue. Knock Out closed his lips, getting somewhat of a pressure around most of Breakdown’s valve and /sucked/ loving the way it just seemed to make Breakdown absolutely come apart. He clenched and writhed, moaning Knock Out’s name as he rode his mouth.

He came with a wail, arching back and just letting Knock Out suck and lap him through his climax.

Knock Out tugged at his spike a little more, urging himself to get caught up. It wasn’t working that well, and Breakdown came out of his post-orgasm haze to find Knock Out scrunching his face up and showing a bit more dentae than Breakdown was comfortable still being in his mouth with. He slid off, taking a small wobbly leap to Knock Out’s chest when a hand grabbed him. “Where you goin, Breakdown?” Came Knock Out’s raspy voice. He realized he would have leaped right onto where that jerk had smashed him with the baseball bat.

“I’m gonna help you get off, let me down there.” Breakdown replied. Knock Out gave him a dubious look but set him on his stomach regardless, watching Breakdown as he stood and walked towards the massive spike. Knock Out wasn’t sure what Breakdown was going to do, he thought maybe try and rub one off with his tiny little hands but hopping down to the ground was not what he expected. 

“Uh, Breakdown, my spike is up here.”

“Since when do you ever like using your spike?” Came Breakdown’s response. Knock Out couldn’t see him but he knew the smug little face he’d be making.

“I can use my spike jus- oh, ohhh Breaky-” He wasn’t entirely sure what Breakdown was doing to his node, but it was possibly the most wonderful feeling he’d had against it in a very, very long time. It was wet and hard, a distinct small pressure that moved over the whole thing. He could feel little hands come to rest on either side of it, tugging gently at the protoflesh there to let more of the node emerge from it’s hood. He felt a little scrape, just a small pinch and he realized it was his mouth, Breakdown had to be licking and kissing at it there was no other explanation for what the feeling could possibly be. 

It didn’t let up and if anything, he could feel it getting faster. Long flat broad strokes of Breakdown’s tongue covered the surface of it, and on occasion between that blissful feeling Breakdown would press his lips as wide as he could and suck, not unlike that Knock Out did to him. Except where that had been pleasure against everything Breakdown had, This was just concentrated pressure to Knock Out’s node that left him shaking to come any second.

He wasn’t going to last. Transfluid was already dripping from his spike and he realized this was the fastest he was getting off in a long time, even before Breakdown died. “Don’t- Don’t stop. Please just-” He threw his head back, too captivated by the feelings in his node to keep talking. It practically radiated out from his hips, making his legs quake and jerk. It was good, it was truly just too damn good. 

Knock Out came with a whimper, his spike dribbling transfluid down his shaft as he gently rocked his hips into Breakdown’s machinations. 

\--

They laid there a short period of time, letting Knock Out recover for a moment as his panels slowly shifted back in place. Breakdown had walked around, coming face to face with Knock Out. He grinned his cute little lopsided grin and Knock Out had no other choice, he turned over and kissed him, as gently as he could. “I’m so glad to have you back.”

Breakdown looked lost a second and then burst into giddy laughter, hugging Knock Out’s face. 

“On second thought though,” Knock Out pulled back from his embrace and sat up, “We...need to find a place to wash off. we’re filthy.”


	12. Pure morning.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events in this chapter may seem similar, I rewrote it from ages ago to give the rest of the story a better set up. Right now they're just chillin

A motel was the perfect antidote to their woes. Getting the room had been a little confusing but once Breakdown learned he could rent it by the hour, everything clicked into place. It was a seedy highway joint people brought their shady business to. Breakdown’s shady business just happened to be a shower and a change of clothes. 

Knock Out drove around the neighborhood while Breakdown cleaned up, looking for places to take him so he could actually try and eat something human-made. By the time Breakdown called him on the little radio to come pick him up Knock Out had a plan in motion. 

Breakdown put his things into Knock Out’s trunk subspace and slipped into his front seat. Knock Out rumbled happily that he no longer smelled like sweat and hormones, but rather a soapy and almost floral scent. 

Breakdown scooted low into the seat and sprawled himself across it. He was wearing some of the looser clothes they’d gotten. Baggy jeans and a flannel top that hid his chest rather than accentuate it the way Knock Out’s chosen top had. 

“What’s the plan for today then?” Breakdown asked as they pulled out of the motel.

“Well~ first I’m going to find a car wash. You’re not the only one that needs to get cleaned up but lord knows I can’t operate it by myself. Damn these humans for making everything require human operation. Can’t at least something be automatic?”

Breakdown laughed as they pulled further into the city. “Okay, so, clean off first. Check. What about after that? I think I could eat again.”

“Already ahead of you on that front as well.” Knock Out pulled into a drive-through carwash that needed breakdown to lean out the window and put money into a slot for him. Knock Out seemed to visibly relax as he shifted into neutral and let the track on the floor grab his tire and pull him through. “After this I’m getting you some food. Real food. Human food.”

Breakdown watched the multicolored soap spray little designed onto Knock Out’s chassis. Somehow he never thought that’s what it looked like from inside a cybertronian, but he was kinda thrilled about it. 

Knock Out grunted as it sprayed into the dents at his front. Human soap was just fine for disinfecting but it wasn’t as gentle as it could be. It stung his plating and make his busted headlight feel as though it were on fire. As soon as the water came though it ended, a sense of relief coming over them both as he moved onto the brushes. 

\--

The food was a little more of an issue. There were frankly just too many choices for them to understand. Cybertronians ate one thing. They could have variations and additions to it, but at the end of they day it was energon. No matter how many times it was distilled, or what grade it was, or what seasonings were added to it, it was energon. 

Humans ate a lot of different shit. Knock Out drove slowly down the strip of little fast food joints (or at least what he thought were fast food joints) and let Breakdown decide. The first place he picked turned out to be some kind of a pick-up pharmacy that had a lot of daily use items but no real food. He had returned to Knock Out rather puzzled and still hungry.

“So walgreens isn’t food, now we know.” Knock Out said as he pulled back onto the road. “Shoulda probably looked that one up on the internet but I’ll check next time you choose.”

“It looks just like all the other places though! I dont understand how I chose the one store that isn’t actually a place to eat.”

“All the human architecture looks the same anyway, don’t beat yourself up over it. Let’s just try again.” 

Breakdown stared out the window at and tried to decipher if these places were actually eateries. “This would help if I could read their signs.”

“Ah...I didn’t think about that.” 

“You just forgot I didn’t have any translation software?” Breakdown laughed. “I have no idea what I’m looking at.”

“How are you going to read their menus when you’re inside? The radio and camera setup we used last time didn’t seem to go over all that well.”

“You think I can’t just point and grunt like an animal and they’ll understand?”

Knock Out laughed at that, pulling up a search in his computer for how to get around this. “Oh! Oh they have drive throughs. Like on hedonia!”

“So I just gotta pick a place with a drive through and have you read everything to me like a sparkling.” Breakdown joked, pointing at a red sign. “What about there?”

“I don’t have a better plan than that.” Knock Out turned into their parking lot, avoiding and swearing at a dumbass who didn’t look behind them before backing up. The drive through wasn’t exactly like the ones on hedonia, but it were certainly passable. 

By the time they got to the little order box Breakdown was starting to get nervous again. Knock Out rolled his eyes as a nice female voice greeted them and asked what he wanted. Breakdown stammered and Knock Out simply replied, “Give us a moment please! We’re still deciding~”

Breakdown’s worried expression came out full force as he looked at the menu. There were pictures but none of it looked like what he assumed was food. He pointed at some crispy brown thing. “What is that?”

“Chicken meal. I think. Uhhh comes with a fries, whatever the hell that is.”

“Chicken like...the animal?”

Knock Out did another google search. “Yes, I think so.”

“Oh no, no I don’t want to eat an animal. Find something that’s not an animal.”

“What about the first thing on the list? I don’t think a burger was alive.”

Breakdown looked at the stack of substances and wondered if that was true. It didn’t look like food. But he was also used to food looking like what humans considered poison, so he didn’t know what to think. 

The voice from the intercom came through again, “The burger is not a vegetarian option, but we can hold the patty if you want.”

Breakdown mouthed, ‘vegetarian?’ at Knock Out who remained silent.

“Ma’am?” the intercom asked again. 

“I think it’s people who eat plants.” Knock Out whispered.

“Oh- um. Is the burger alive?” Breakdown asked.

The lady over the intercom was silent for a moment and Breakdown knew he fucked up. “I’m fairly sure everything on our menu was alive at some point.”

Breakdown started to panic again. But this is what humans ate, so maybe he should just get used to it. He took a deep breath and nodded at the intercom. “I’ll-I’ll take the burger, then.”

“Do...you want that as a meal?” she asked.

“Yes?” Breakdown asked back, not sure what that meant. Wasn’t all food a meal?

“What to drink with that?”

“A...usual drink. Just whatever.”

The pause was terribly anxious and Breakdown was relieved that she didn’t seem to want any clarification. “Anything else for you?”

“No I- no. That’s all.”

“Your total is $4.97 please pull up to the next window.”

Knock Out pulled up and the lady gave Breakdown a very questioning look. As he handed her the money. She didn’t say anything though and directed them to pick up the food at the next window. Knock Out had been furiously googling what was and was not an animal in a burger and was stuck on the concept of cheese as a whole when he felt something cold and wet slide into his middle console. A vessel of dark and bubbling liquid covered in condensation. He shuddered to think what would happen if that spilled.

Breakdown grabbed the bags of food and Knock Out tore off, away from that place. Breakdown picked up a long yellow thing and tentatively took a bite out of it, chewing it a moment before stuffing the rest of it into his mouth. “Aw fuck, this is good.”

“Is that a fries?”

“It must be. It’s not an animal is it?”

“I don’t think so. Even if it is, you already got an animal on your burger.” Knock Out pulled out into the traffic and started back up on the road.

Breakdown stuffed a handful of the fries into his mouth and pulled out the burger. It was wrapped in a mesh foil which he opened carefully, not wanting to spill any in Knock Out. It was animals. At some point this thing was organic animals, and he was animals. Breakdown swallowed the fries and licked his lips to get the salt off. He could do this. This was normal human people stuff and he could manage it. 

Knock Out was paying attention to the road and where he was headed next when he heard Breakdown let out an actual honest to god sob. “What? What is it?”

Breakdown chewed the bite he’d taken and stared at the food in his hands with some melodrama falling down his face. 

“Breakdown why are you crying? What’s wrong do I need to pull over.” 

Breakdown put the burger down and shook his head, his hands coming up to rub at his face and eyes. “It’s really good!”

Knock Out made no immediate reply, just changed lanes so he could pull off the road and figure this out.

“I d-don’t know why I’m crying it’s just really good. It-it’s the best thing I’ve ever, ever eaten.” 

“You’re crying because it’s good?”

“Yes!” Breakdown picked it up and fervently took another bite, leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes like it was some holy experience. Knock Out was completely dumbfounded and just pulled back out onto the road, hoping he wouldn’t have to stop again.


End file.
